Method of perforating sheet material for the reception of eyelets and the like



P. R. GLASS,`

METHOD OF PERFORATING` SHEET MATERIAL FOR THE RECEPTION OF EYELETS AND'THE LIKEl 1. /d 'if 44) 1 Y IPL/511111114 APPLICATION FILED AUG. I5, T918.

Patented Oct. 26, 1920;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

PERLEY R. GLASS, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF PERFORATING SHEET MATERIAL FOR THE RECEPTION 0F EYELETSk AND THE LIKE.

Specication of Letters Iatent. Patented 0G13. 26, 1920. t

Original application filed May 3, 1915, Serial No. 25,502. Divided and this application filed August 15,

To all w 7mm t may concern Be it known that I, PERLEY R. GLAss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Methods of Perforating Sheet-Material for the Reception of Eyelets and the like, of which the following description, in connection with'the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

rIhis invention relates to methods of setting blind or invisible eyelets in sheet material such as the uppers of boots and shoes.

In setting blind or invisible eyelets by the methods heretofore employed, difliculties have been experienced in securing consistently the desired quality of finished work. These difficulties include imperfections in the perforation of the work and imperfections iii clencliing the eyelet, particularly as regards the position of the upset portion of the eyelet between particular layers of the work.

An objectof the present invention is to provide, in setting blind or invisible eyelets, a method of operation insuring that the barrel of the eyelet will be clenched at the proper plane in the upper, that is between predetermined layers of which the Work is made, and that the perforating of the work may be carried out so that the resulting perforations shall be clean cut and properly located.

JAccording to the preferred practice of the invention, one layer of the upper is perforated by means of a tubular punching tool while that layer isi connected to and in faceto-face contact with the other layer or layers supported upon a suitable supporting surface. The work is then fed laterally, preferably by the tubular punching tool until the perforation first formed is brought into alineinent with a `male punching tool whereupon the other layer or layers are punched to complete a hole through the work, preferably by conjoint or telescopic action of the two tools. An eyelet is then inserted through one or more of the layers and clenched, and for blind or invisible eyeleting the clencliing may conveniently be `done against the tubular punching tool Serial No.` 249,986.

which for this kind of work would preferably remain in the work and have a clenching surface arranged to flare the eyelet between two contiguous layers of the work. An important feature of the method ust described is that the punching end of the tubular tool does not abut against any element that would dull it, and consequently it may be, and preferably is, sharpened to a keen cutting edge. Therefore the hole formed in the outer layer of the work will be cleanly cut instead of having a ragged or fuzzy edge as when punched by a tool that cuts against a metallic block or plate and whose cutting edge is purposely made full so that it will not be chipped or turned.

Accordingly the invention, in one aspect, consists in an improved method of perforating an article comprising two or more layers lying against each other by cutting through one of the layers beginning at one surface of the article and completing the hole by starting at the opposite surface and progressing toward the first-mentioned surface.

l/Vhen feeding the work is an important step in the method a feature of the invention consists in executing the feeding motion after the beginning and prior to the completion of the hole-forming operation.

lonsidered otherwise the invention consists in punching a hole by two separate and successive operations, and in shifting vthe work edgewise between said operations so ,tingn edge to project from the work.

till another feature consists in guiding the eyelet into the hole by the male punch- 'ing tool that works conjointly with the feeding tool to execute the second or final phase ofthe hole-forming operation.- The male tool preferably, and as shown, is a part of the eyelet-insel ting tool, and accordingly one other feature consists in setting blind or invisible eyelets by the use of male and female hole-punching tools. Since the female punch has a protruding tubular punch'- ing portion that extends into the work before and during the punching action of the male punch the latter merely forces the punchings through the bore of the female punch without forcing the work along the exterior of the tubular portion. This is especially important in blind and invisible eyeleting because it is necessary to have the setting shoulder in a predetermined plane of the work when the flaring of the eyelet is in progress.

1n one of its important aspects, the invention consists in a method for setting eyelets in which the outer portion of the quarter is punched while it is supported upon the lining portion and the lining portion-1s subsequently perforated in register with the hole thus formed.

In another of its aspects, the invention consists in a method of setting eyelets in which a hole is formed in one portion of the quarter, the quarter relocated, and a second hole subsequently punched in another portion at the conclusion of the relocating operation.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of one embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which,-

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional views illustrating the successive steps of the method as carried outby one form of apparatus, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a shoe quarter having invisible eyelets set therein.

The method of operation to be herein described may be conveniently carried out by a machine such as described in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,278,811, granted September 10, 1918, on an application of which this'application is a division, but it will be understood that it is not restricted to such a machine nor to the particular tools which are illustrated herein. For convenience, however, we will consider that the work is supported in its initial position upon a punch block 10 and that it comprises a series of layers 12, 14 and 16 which, for simplicity of description, will be considered to be the outer leather, the stiffening member, and the lining respectively. The punching and upsetting tool 20 is provided with a threaded shank 22 by means of which it may be supported on the operating plunger 24 of the machine. This tool is primak rily a tubular punch having its lower end 26 tapered to form a cutting edgeand-inciden* tally an upsetting surface as will presently appear. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the end 2G of the toolA 2O is beveled or tapered in a concave manner, although it might be convexly tapered, and above the tapered portion is a cylindrical portion 28. Above the portion 28 the tool is enlarged and provided with a threaded portion 30 upon which is adjustably held a stop 32 which comprises a threaded nut.

Theplunger 24 and tool 20 are so construct ed and arranged that when the plunger is depressed the cutting edge of the tool will be forced through the outer portion 12 of a shoe quarter, or the upper layer of the work, supported upon the cutting block 10, as shown in Fig. 1, and will enter slightly the material of the layer 14 beneath. In order Vto render this operation more accurate the stop 32 is so adjusted upon the threaded p0r- 4tion 30 of the tool 20 that the exposed length of the cylindrical portion 28 of the tool is substantially equal to the thickness of the portion 12 of the work. It will thus be seen that the lower layers 14 and 16 of the work will constitute a yielding backing for the layer 12 which is to be perforated by the tool 20. VAs already pointed out the punch- `ing operation under these circumstances `produces a very cleanly punched hole in the lupper portion 12 of the work.

The eyelet carrying set 40 is shaped at its upper end to receive the flange of the eyelet `42 to be inserted and with an upwardly pro-V jecting punching member -44 of such diameter as to enter the bore of the tubular punching tool 20. At its upper end the punching member 44 is beveled at 46 upon one side so that its punching action, in coperation with the tubular punching member 20, will be of a shearing punch and die nature. To insure more certainly the proper entering of the punching member 44 in the bore of the tubularY punching member the opposite side of the upper end of the member is slightly beveled. The punching member 44 occupies the position in the eyelet carrying set 40 of the usual center spindle and as such spindle it has the function of taking an eyelet from a raceway 50 and holding it in position duringthe upward movementof the eyelet carrying set. In the present construction the the punching member 44 also serves as a positive guide for directing the barrel of the eyelet through the lower portion of the work and into engagement with the upsetting sur` face upon the end 26 of the tubular punching` tool.

In practising my novel method with the apparatus herein illustrated, the shoe quarter is placed upon the work plate with the point at which the first eyelet is to be 'set above the cutting block 10 and in alinement with the tubular punching tool 20. The machineisthen set in operation and the plun-' portions of the quarter.

ger 24 depressed carrying the tubular punching tool through the upper portion 12 of the quarter and embedding its end slightly in the underneath portion 14 of the quarter. Fig. 1 of the drawing. shows the punching tool in this position. The tool 2O is then moved transversely toward the left feeding the entire quarter with it until it comes into a position in alinementwith and above the eyelet carrying set 40. At about this time the plunger carrying the set 40 is elevated and an eyelet supplied to the punching member 44 during the upward movement thereof. The punching member 44 then encounters the underside of the lower portion 16 of the quarter and in its upward movement enters the bore of the tool 20 shearing out a hole in the previously unperforated Fig. 2 illustrates the position of the punching member 44 when it has partially entered into the bore" of the tubular punch 20. As the upward movement of the eyelet carrying set 40 continues, the member 44 advances into the bore of the tool 2O pushing the punchings ahead of it and at the same time guiding the end of the eyelet barrel through the lower portion of the quarter and into engagement with the upsetting surface of the end 26 of the tubular punch. The end of the eyelet barrel is split by this surface and turned outwardly beneath the lower surface of the upper portion 12 of the work. When the tools reach their linal position, as shown in Fig. 3, the clenched end of the barrel is flattened down by the pressure upon it of the material of theupper portion 12 reinforced by the lower face of the stop 32.

The work herein illustrated comprises a shoe quarter made up of an outer or leather portion 12 and a lining portion which in turn is made up of a stiffening strip 14 of canvas or similar material and a leather part 16. For convenience the invisible eyelet will be described as being set in the lining part of the work, that is to say, with its flange against one surface of the part 1G and. its ,clenched end against the oppositely disposed surface of the stiifening strip 14 but it will be apparent that if desired the eyelet may be set in one layer only of the work. This would be accomplished if the tubular punch 20 were adjusted to pass through the intermediate strip 14 in its punching operation.

In the foregoing description the operation of setting an invisible eyelet has been described, such an eyelet being kone set in the lining portion of a quarter beneath the hole formed in the outer or leather portion. The opera-tion of setting a blind eyelet is similar in all respects eXcept that the work is presented to the machine in an inverted position,` that is to say; with the lining uppermost. The eyelet then set will be disposed with its flange upon the outer surface of the shoe and its clenched end within the lining portion so that only a hole for the passage of the lacing appears within the shoe.

Having-thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in the art of shoe making which consists in punching the outer portion of aquarter while supported upon the lining portion, perforating the lining portion, by a different operation, in registerl with the hole thus formed, inserting an eyelet barrel through the lining portion, and clenching it thereon.

2. That improvementrin the art of shoe making which consists in punching a hole in the outer portion of a quarter, subsequently, and by another operation, punching a hole in the lining portion, in register with the first said hole, and setting an eyelet in one of said holes.

That improvement in the art of shoemaking which consists in cutting a hole through the outer layer of a shoe-quarter while said layer is against another layer of the quarter at the cutting locality, forming a hole through the other layer in registration with the first hole by progressing toward the outer layer while the two layers are against one another, and 4setting an eyelet in the hole in the said other layer.

4. That improvement in the art of shoe making which consists in punching a hole by means of a tubular punch in the outer portion of a quarter while said portion is yieldingly backed up by the lining portion, punching the lining portion by projecting a tool into the bore 0f the tubular punch, guiding an eyelet through the hole in the lining upon said tool, and finally clen'ching the end of the eyelet barrel upon the tubular punching tool.

5. rThat improvement in the art of shoe making which consists in punching one portion of a shoe quarter, relocating the entire quarter, and punching another portion of thc quarter in register with the first punch- .ing after relocating the quarter.

6. That improvement in the art of shoe making which consists in punching one portion of a shoe quarter, feeding the entire quarter, and punching another portion of the quarter in register with the first punching but after the feeding operation.

7. That improvement in the art of shoe making which consists in resting aplurality of superposed and connected layers of sheet material upon a support, moving a punch toward the support sufliciently to penetrate one of said layers without causing the punch to touch the support, feeding the work in this condition to another position, and then completing the hole and inserting a fastener therein.

8. That improvement in the art of ,Shoe making which 'consists in punching a hole in one portion of a shoe quarter, feeding the quarter to another position, punching another portion of the quarter in register with the irst punching but after the feeding operation, inserting an eyelet in one of the punched portions, and finally clenching the eyelet between two portions of the work.

9. rlhat improvement in the art of shoe making which consists in punching .part way through a quarter from one side, forcing a combined work punching and eyelet guiding tool through the quarter from the opposite side, in register with the portion first punched, inserting into the quarter an eyelet surrounding said tool, and finally clenching the end of the eyelet between two layers of the work.

10. That improvement in shoemaking which consists in forcing a punching element part way through the work, moving said element laterally while it is in the work but before it has completed a hole therethrough, completing the partially formed hole without completing the passage of the said element therethrough and setting an eyelet in the hole while the leading end of said element is in the hole.

11. That improvement in shoe-making which consists in forcing an acute annular cutting edge part way through the work to begin the forming of a hole in the work, completing the hole by forcing a waste portion of the work into the cutting element whilethe said cutting edge remains between the surfaces of the work, and setting an eyelet in the hole while the cutting edge is in the latter.

12. That improvement in shoe-making which consists in forcing an annular cutting edge and a setting shoulder part way through a piece of work comprising a plurality of layers, completing a hole through the work while maintaining the cutting edge and the setting shoulder between the outer surfaces of the work, and clenching an eyelet between two layers of the work by means of the setting shoulder.

13. That improvement in shoe-.making which consists in forming a hole part way through an article of work by forcing an acute annular cutting edge into the article while sustaining the latter by one of two opposite surfaces thereof, completing the hole from one of said surfaces to the other while maintaining the cutting edge between the said surfaces, and setting an eyelet in the hole.

14. That improvement in shoe-making which consists in forming a hole part way through a piece of work by forcing an acute annular cutting edge part way through the work, then completing the hole and setting an eyelet therein while maintaining the cutting edge between the surfaces of the work.

15. That improvement in shoe-making which consists in forcing an annular cutting edge and a setting shoulder part way through a piece of work comprising a plurality of layers, and completing a hole through the work and clenching an eyelet between two layers thereof while maintaining the cutting edge and the setting shoulder between the outer surfaces of the work.

1'6. That improvement in shoe-making which consists in forcing the annular cutting edge of a tubular cutter part way through a piece of work, completing a hole through the work by punching a waste piece therefrom into the interior of the cutter while maintaining the said cutting edge between the surfaces of the work, guiding the barrel of an eyelet into the hole and onto that part'of the cutter that is in the work, and clenching the eyelet.

17. That improvement in shoe-making which consists in forcing an annular setting shoulder through one layer of a plurality of superposed layers of work before a hole has been completed through all the layers, completing a hole through the work in coaxial registration with the setting shoulder while the latter is between the two outer surfaces of the superposed layers, and clenching an eyelet against the setting shoulder while the latter is in the hole.

18. That improvement in shoe-making which consists in forming a hole through a piece of work by beginning the formation at opposite surfaces of the work and completing it between said surfaces, and clenching an eyelet in the hole while an element of the hole-forming means is in the hole.

19. That improvement in shoe-making which consists in punching a hole part way through the work, moving one of the punching elements out of registration with the other, completing the hole by another combination of punching elements, and setting an eyelet inthe hole.

20. That improvement in shoe-making which consists in punching a hole through the-work, feeding the work after the beginning and before the completion of the hole-forming operation, and setting an eyelet in the hole.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PERLEY n. GLASS.

LIt is hereby certied that in Letters Patent No. 1,356,522, granted October 26, 1920, upon the application of Perley R. Glass, of Brookline, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Methods of Perforating Sheet Material for the Reception of Eyelets and the like, an error appears in the printed specication requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 67 for the word full read dull; and that thefsaid Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of January, A. D., 1921.

[SEAL] L. B. MANN,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

